The Shelters of Stone (Earth's Children 5)

The Great Mother Earth and the Moon have brought the Sun back, but not all the way; Ayla was again anticipating.

“But the bleak frigid dark craved his bright glowing heat.

The Mother defended and would not retreat.

The whirlwind pulled hard. She refused to let go.

She fought to a draw with Her dark swirling foe.”

“She held darkness at bay. But Her son was away.”

Was the Zelandonii version longer than the Losadunai story? Or did it just seem that way? Maybe singing the story makes it seem longer, but I really like the singing. I wish I understood it more. I think the songs change sometimes, the singing of some verses doesn’t sound the same as other verses.

“When She fought the whirlwind and made chaos flee,

The light from Her son glowed with vitality.

When the Mother grew tired, the bleak void held sway,

And darkness returned at the end of the day.”

“She felt warmth from Her son. But neither had won.”

“The Great Mother lived with the pain in Her heart,

That She and Her son were forever apart.

She ached for the child that bad been denied,

So She quickened once more from the life-force inside.”

“She was not reconciled. To the loss of Her child.”

“When She was ready, Her waters of birth,

Brought back the green life to the cold barren Earth.

And the tears of Her loss, abundantly spilled,

Made dew drops that sparkled and rainbows that thrilled.”

“Birth waters brought green. But Her tears could be seen.”

I really like this next part, but I wonder how Zelandoni will sing it, Ayla thought.

“With a thunderous roar Her stones split asunder,

And from the great cave that opened deep under,

She birthed once again from Her cavernous room,

And brought forth the Children of Earth from Her womb.”

“From the Mother forlorn, more children were born.”

“Each child was different, some were large and some small,

Some could walk and some fly, some could swim and some crawl.